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Tuesday, September 6, 2016

1990s Puerh Tea Brick (Ripe) - Xiaguan Tea Factory


This 1990s ripe puerh tea was a purchase I made in Hong Kong from Sunsing many years ago. The tea has since sold out. I can’t be sure but I believe the tea brick is representative of a Xiaguan factory production. Overall the steeps present a sweet, smooth and textured brew that is very satisfying and comfortable on the body. For the most part the tea has mellowed and the once strong fermented characteristics have dissipated. There are warming notes of wood, herbs, dark fruits, dried moss in a mellow and earthy background. The brew possesses a pleasant softness in mouthfeel that is an attribute of ripe tea of this age. That said there is room for further improvement.

The character profile of this tea brick is different from Menghai TF and the similarly packaged 7581 tea brick from Kunming TF. It is my opinion that by comparison this tea brick does not quite have the elegance of Menghai productions from the same time period. The tea leaves that make up this tea brick are not large and quite different from the 8th grade (in size) that are used in the 7581 productions under Kunming TF. As a result the brew is stronger and denser than the 1990s 7581 productions. I expect this potency to provide the legs for this tea to continue its development as it gains more age characteristics in future years.

 
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